Sunset Dreaming
by Lovely Helena
Summary: AU. Set in 1994. Tate made Violet stay home from school the day that he painted the hallways red. He made her promise to find him in his house afterwards. Violet doesn't understand why Tate left her alone.  I suck at summaries
1. Alone

_**I actually had a dream of this entire story. I woke up in tears, but the dream was amazing. I had to turn it into a story. I hope that you enjoy. Please review and let me know what you think of this. Thanks, loves. **_

Violet took a deep breath and held her books closely to her chest. She knew she had no other choice but to walk into the school. She could only imagine what would be waiting for her inside.

It was 1994, and a week ago her boyfriend, Tate, had lost his mind and shot and killed 15 students at Westfield High School. Her school. Their school.

Violet and the rest of the student body were given a week. A week to say their goodbyes. A week to mourn their loss. A week to forget. Everything was supposed to go back to normal today. Everyone was supposed to act like nothing happened. It was supposed to be okay, but it wasn't. It never had been.

Violet kept her head low as she walked through the hallways, trying to block out the sneers from the other students. Some yelled at her. "You bitch!" Some questioned her with teary eyes. "Why didn't you stop him?" And some gave her looks that spoke all of their hatred toward her.

Flowers and cards decorated the lockers of the students that had lost their lives. It was like a scene from a movie. Violet walked down the long hallway, passing by each locker. The math club was crowded around Amir's locker. Stefanie's boyfriend was standing in front of her locker, looking like he wasn't going to be able to stand much longer. Kevin's girlfriend Rooney was sitting next to his locker. She had her arms wrapped tightly around her stomach and was the only one to look at Violet without any emotion.

Violet's long walk ended with her path being blocked by the football team and cheerleading squad.

"I can't believe you even showed your face here." One of the cheerleaders sneered.

"What, bitch? Got nothing to say?" A burly football player roared.

Violet kept her eyes on the ground, trying not to flinch at their loud voices. "I'm sorry…" She whispered.

"Sorry isn't going to bring them back!"

Violet shook her head, turning away from them and hurrying down the hallway and through a door that lead outside. The yelling from the jocks finally silenced when the door slammed shut behind her.

She bit her lip to keep in her tears while she walked. She walked down the sidewalk, completely blocking out every single noise around her. The tips of her shoes stepped off the cement and onto the grass when she finally reached the cemetery. She hadn't had the nerve to step foot in this place until now. She just needed to talk to him.

His tombstone was easy to find. It was away from everyone else as if he was being shunned. The stone was plain and only held his name and the years in which he lived.

Violet sat down, facing the stone and placed her books down beside her. She stared at the stone in silence for a few long minutes, trying to figure out exactly what to say. Her thoughts drifted back to the morning when the world stopped.

_**Flashback**_

Violet was sitting on her bed, twirling her thumbs. She was so nervous to tell Tate her news. She didn't know how he was going to react. He had been acting so strange lately, always staying out late and being distant toward her. The only time he wasn't distant was when he was wrapped in her embrace. He always seemed so much more alive when he was connected to her.

Violet jumped when her bedroom door swung open and loudly collided with the wall. "Tate! You scared me."

Tate didn't reply. Violet could tell that something was wrong. He was hovering in the doorway to her bedroom. His hands were shaking, and his head was twitching. Violet knew exactly what was going on, and it made her angry.

"You're high again aren't you?" She growled as she stood up from her bed. "Tate?" Violet raised her voice and walked over to him when he didn't respond. Tate raised his head up so that he was staring at her. The look of pure rage on his face made Violet very nervous. "Tate…" She whispered as she reached out and took his shaking hands in hers, holding them to her chest in the hopes that they would stop shaking.

Tate's eyes softened as soon as Violet touched him. "My Vi…" He whispered as a hint of a smile spread across his face.

"Hi, baby." Violet smiled at him.

"Violet…"

Violet let go of one of Tate's hands so that she could cup his cheek. He leaned into her touch. "Tate, what's going on? Is everything okay?" Violet could tell that something was wrong, but she knew that she had to be gentle with Tate when he was like this. He always had a bad temper when he was high.

Tate shook his head. "No… But it will be. Everything will be okay. They will be free and happy." Tate whispered his words.

"You're not making any sense, love." Violet spoke in a calm tone.

Tate's eyes focused back on Violet's, and his hands grabbed her arms, a little too tightly. Violet winced. "You can't go to school today!" He said in a panic.

"What? Why? Tate, please let me go." Violet was doing her best to keep the worry out of her voice. Tate instantly released his hold on her.

"You can't be there when… You have to stay here. Violet, you have to." Tate mumbled and ran his fingers through his hair over and over again.

Violet was becoming more concerned by the second. "Why don't we both stay home today?"

"No!" Tate roared, making Violet jump. "I have to do this!"

"Do what?" Violet's voice was as loud as Tate's now.

Tate pulled Violet into his arms, holding her tightly to him. "I love you so much, Violet. I'm doing this for us and them. We'll all be happier after this. I promise."

Violet shook her head. She wondered if he would even tell her what was going on. She decided that maybe it was best to change the subject. "Tate, I need to tell you something…"

Tate leaned back and looked into her eyes. "I have to go now, Violet. Come find me after in my house. I'll be there waiting for you. I'll wait forever if I have to." Tate spun around and started walking away.

"Tate!" Violet called after him. She would have chased him down if she knew that it would be the last time she would see him alive.

_**End of Flashback**_

Tears rolled down Violet's cheeks as she took deep breaths. She reached out and ran the tips of her fingers against Tate's engraved name.

"I miss you." She whispered, half expecting to hear his voice in response.

"I need you." Her hands moved to rest against her stomach. To anyone that didn't know, they would never suspect that she was pregnant. The layers of clothes hid the small swell of her tummy. She rubbed the bump as she thought about the baby growing inside of her. This baby was all she had left of Tate.

"Why did you leave me?" She sobbed. She wanted to scream at him. She wanted to hit him.

"I'm right here, Violet." His voice flooded her ears, and she turned her head to the side and saw him sitting next to her.

She stared at the smile plastered on his face. That smiled that creased dimples into his cheeks had always made her heart soar. But this couldn't be real. He couldn't be here. He was dead and buried six feet under her.

Violet closed her eyes tightly. "No, you're not." She whispered. When she opened her eyes, the mirage of him was gone, and she was all alone again. Or so she thought.


	2. Memories

**Here's Chapter 2. I just had to write it down because I'm so excited about this story. Oh, and there is a little sexy in it ;) **

"I don't blame you." A voice floated down to Violet's ears. She looked up at saw Kevin's girlfriend, Rooney, standing next to her.

"Why? Everyone else does…" Violet shook her head and wiped away her tears.

Rooney extended her hand to Violet and helped her stand. Violet nodded a thanks as she brushed the dirt off of her bottom.

"You didn't go on a shooting rampage through the school. And I don't think you could've stopped him if you tried."

"I had no idea. I didn't… I didn't know that he was going to do anything." Violet tried to hold back a new set of tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.

Rooney nodded and hit the toe of her boot against the dirt.

"I'm so sorry, Rooney."

Rooney shrugged. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her stomach. "You're pregnant." She nodded her head towards Violet's hand on her stomach.

Violet's eyes grew wide. "How did you?"

"I'm pregnant, too." Rooney whispered.

Violet gasped quietly. She opened her mouth to say something, but Rooney spoke first.

"I'm here for you if you need someone." She smiled before turning and walking away. Violet watched in confusion as the girl walked out of the cemetery. She wondered why Rooney was being so kind to her. She didn't deserve it.

…

Violet slowly made her way home. She tried to enter the house quietly, but her mother caught her right before she reached the staircase.

"Violet! A letter came for you today, sweet girl." Vivien called from the kitchen. Violet crinkled her nose in confusion. She had never gotten a letter in the mail before. She thanked her mom and took her letter upstairs to her room. She sat on the bed and stared at the messy cursive written across the front of the envelope. There was no return address.

She flipped the letter over and ripped open the top, pulling out a piece of jagged paper. The writing on the paper was smudged as if someone had been crying while writing the note. Her breath caught in her throat as she read the words.

_My Vi,_

_I don't know why you haven't come to find me yet. I'm here, waiting for you. I'm sorry that I did not tell you of my plan, but I had to keep you safe, and I had to send those kids to a better place. This is a filthy god damn world that we live in. I just wanted those kids to be happy. _

_I took my own life before the cops came. I knew what my fate was, and I planned everything out perfectly. Now I'm stuck in this house for forever. My mother has just found out of my fate and is planning on staying in the house as long as she can. I don't think she will be here much longer because Larry's hospital bills will break her. Soon she will be gone from this house for good. I'm waiting for you to join me. This is a way for us to be together forever. Like Romeo and Juliet. Please, come to me. I need you. We can be happy here._

_All of my love,_

_Tate. _

"This can't be real." Violet's voice shook as she started to sob. She wondered who would play such a cruel joke on her. She read the letter over and over again. Tate's pleas for her to come to his house echoed in her mind. A part of her started to wonder if he was really there.

She stood up from her bed and looked out of her bedroom window, staring at Tate's house across the street. She could remember the first day she met him vividly.

_**Flashback**_

Violet groaned as the car came to a stop in the middle of a neighborhood full of old mansions. Her parents hopped out of the car and excitedly walked over to their new home. Violet took her time getting out of the car. Her attention was pulled across the street by a mansion that looked as scary as it was old. It intrigued her. She lifted her sunglasses for a moment to get a good look at the house before placing the shades back on the bridge of her nose.

"Like what you see?" A deep voice asked from beside her. Violet turned and was face to face with an attractive teenage boy. She shrugged her shoulders.

"It's nice, I guess."

The boy chuckled and held out his hand. "Tate Langdon. That's my house. It's the farthest thing from nice." Violet rolled her eyes behind her shades as she placed her hand in Tate's. She smiled as his calloused fingers incased hers.

"Violet. I just moved here."

"Well, Vi. It's nice to meet you. I'll be across the street if you… need me." Tate winked at her before letting go off her hand and walking away. Violet laughed lightly, wondering who the hell that kid thought he was, but she was intrigued all the same.

_**End of Flashback**_

Violet smiled at the memory. Tate had acted so cool and calm around her when they first met. She had been drawn to his "I don't give a fuck" demeanor. She had fallen for him hard and fast and he had done the same. It took about a week for them to go on a date. Two days later for them to kiss. And one week later for Violet to end up in Tate's bed, wrapped tightly in his arms as he whispered his love in her ear. Her first time with Tate could only be described as intense.

_**Flashback**_

"Oh." Violet moaned in slight pain as Tate entered her fully. Her hands gripped tightly on to his shoulders. "Don't move." She whispered, and he nodded, dipping his head between her neck and shoulder.

"I love you." He whispered against her skin, and Violet whimpered.

"I… Fuck. Me too. Me too." Violet couldn't form complete sentences anymore. She was lost in the feelings that were flooding through her small frame. "Move, please." She moaned as the pain subdued. She winced as Tate first pulled out and pushed into her again. He looked worried, but she smiled to sooth his concern.

Tate's thrusts were slow and deep, sending sparks through Violet's body. She was shaking so violently that she had to wrap her arms and legs around Tate. Tate's lips left red marks all of her skin as he continued to move inside of her. The only word that escaped Violet's lips was his name, over and over again.

She gasped when Tate pulled her up as he moved into a sitting position. His hands on her hips kept her at an agonizingly slow pace. She whimpered as the pace kept her on the edge of her release.

"Please, Tate." She pleaded against his neck. Tate lay backward so that Violet was on top and let go of her hips, giving her the control. Violet increased the pace as she placed her hands on Tate's chest to keep herself balanced.

"Fuck, Violet." Tate groaned as she bounced above him. His hands ran up and down her sides as his release exploded through him. Violet gasped as she felt him spill inside of her, causing her climax to rock through her body. She fell down on top of him, exhausted.

_**End of Flashback.**_

They had been lucky that Violet hadn't gotten pregnant after their first time. They had been reckless but made sure to use protection every time after the first. They only slipped up once, and the one time was what led to Violet being pregnant. Tate had convinced Violet to get high with him, and they both ended up in his bed, completely forgetting about the condoms in his night stand. That was the first and last time that Violet did drugs.

Violet had regretted that one time when Tate was still alive. She hadn't wanted a baby, and she had been so scared to tell Tate. But everything was different now… Now she imagined that slip up and smiled. She was thankful for the baby in her belly because it was her only connection to Tate.

Something in a window in the house across the street caught her eye and pulled her from her thoughts. She saw a blonde boy standing in the window for a split second.

"No…" She whispered. She had to have imagined that. She wanted to turn away and forget what she saw, but there was a part of her nagging her to go over there and see if it really was Tate in the window.


	3. Ghost

_I just want to thank everyone that reads and reviews this story! It means the world to me, truly. Oh, and the inspiration for the title is a song: Sunset Dreaming by Tyler Ward. Give it a listen. Thanks! Here is Part 3. Enjoy. _

"I can't believe I'm doing this…" Violet mumbled under her breath as she made her way across the street. She had been watching the house for a few hours now, waiting until Constance and Addie left before she made her move. She held her breath until she was standing in front of the large, wooden front door. She raised her hand to knock, but the door swung open before her knuckles could meet the wood.

There was no one standing by the door. Violet leaned forward a bit to look into the house, noticing that it appeared to be empty.

"Boo." Someone whispered into her ear from behind her. Violet screamed and jumped, turning around quickly. Her eyes grew wide, and she gaped at Tate, who was standing in front of her looking like he did the last time she saw him. Tears filled her eyes to the brim and spilled over on to her cheeks.

"Th…This can't be real." She stuttered and fumbled backward on her unsteady feet. Tate reached out to grab her, but Violet jumped back even farther. Tate moved into the house and closed the front door. Violet suddenly felt trapped, and her mind was starting to get fuzzy.

"Violet… It's okay. Calm down. Please, baby." Tate's voice was smooth and calm.

"You're not real." Violet shook her head. Her entire body was shaking, and she felt sick.

Tate moved closer to Violet, and this time she didn't move away. She didn't trust her feet anymore. "I'm real." Tate whispered as he took Violet's hands in his. He pulled her hands up to his face and kissed her fingers. "I feel real. I'm right here, Violet. I'm not going anywhere ever again."

Violet looked up into Tate's black eyes. "But… How?"

Tate held her hands tightly in his. "I'll tell you everything, okay? Just come upstairs with me."

Violet hesitated. Normally, she would have raced him up the stairs, and they would steal kisses along the way until they fell into a heap of tangled limbs on Tate's bed. Now, she was afraid. She couldn't comprehend what was happening. Tate was dead. He had been killed. She had been at his funeral. But the way he was looking at her, begging her to trust him, made her melt under his touch. She couldn't say no to him. She had never been able to.

"Okay." She whispered at almost an inaudible level. Tate smiled and moved towards the stairs, walking up them with Violet's hand still encased in his. He could feel Violet's hand shaking, and it made him even more determined to make her see that everything was okay now. He opened the door to his bedroom and led Violet inside, closing the door behind them.

Violet looked around the room. Everything looked exactly the way it did before, except now there was a large rug over the floor by Tate's bed. Violet almost sobbed when she realized what was hiding under the rug. Tate gently pulled her over to the bed so that they both could sit down. His thumbs massaged circles in to the palms of her hands as they sat there in silence for a few moments.

Violet took a shaky breath before she broke the heavy silence. "Tate… How are you here? I… I went to your funeral. You're dead."

Tate nodded. "Yea, I'm dead. I'm a ghost."

"There's no such thing as ghosts."

"Look at me, Violet." Tate took her chin in his hand and moved her face towards his. "Trust me. Believe me. I would never lie to you."

Violet stared into Tate's eyes. "I know that…"

Tate smiled. "Good. Great. Do you want to hear my story now?" Violet nodded. "Okay, when I was younger, I met this woman in my basement. She saved me. Her name is Nora. She's a ghost. She was the one that told me about the spirits in this house. There are ones like Nora that are kind and gentle, but then there are ones that are cruel and dangerous. The older I got, the more I started to notice the spirits, and I started to notice something about them. They can't remember why or how they died. Some don't even know that they're dead."

"Then how do you remember?" Violet interjected.

"I wrote everything done, all of my plans and such, in a journal. I found the journal when I woke up and read everything. Now I remember."

"Why did you do it, Tate?" Violet's bottom lip trembled as she asked.

"I thought that I was helping them. I really did. I thought that there had to be someplace better than here…"

Violet nodded her head slowly. "But… What about me?"

Tate's brows knitted together in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Violet bit back more tears. "I just mean… You said there had to be someplace better. Was I not good enough? Did I not make this place better for you?"

Tate's eyes grew wide. "What? Violet, no! I didn't mean it like that!"

Violet shook her head and stood up from the bed, getting angry. "Then how did you mean it, Tate? Why did you do this? Why?" She finally let the tears fall, shaking out a sob.

Tate stood up and wrapped Violet tightly in his arms. "I'm sorry…" He murmured. "I'm so fucking sorry…" Tate buried his face in Violet's hair. "I should have told you. I should've waited for you. We could have done it together."

Violet pulled back so that she could look up at Tate. "Tate… I don't want to die."

Tate pulled away from Violet. "You don't want to be with me?"

"I do! I do…" Violet took a deep breath while she wiped the tears away from her cheeks. "I love you, Tate."

Tate made a noise in the back of his throat. "I love you, too. I love you so much, Violet. I did this for us. We can spend forever together."

Violet shook her head. "I can't… Not now."

"That's okay! You don't have to decide right now. You can wait. Just… promise me that you'll think about it."

"Okay…" Violet tried to smile up at Tate. She took his hands in hers. "I promise… I need to tell you something, though."

Tate moved closer to Violet, leaning down so that his lips were close to hers. "Later, please… Let's just… Let me make love to you. Please, Violet. I need you so badly."

Tate's hands were slowly moving up and down Violet's arms, making her shiver. She wanted to say no. She knew that she should say no and make him listen to what she had to tell him, but the way he touched her made her forget everything but him. "Yes…" She whispered, leaning up on her toes and waiting for Tate's lips to meet hers.

Tate smiled before pulling Violet into his arms, lifting her up and pressing his lips to hers. He moaned into the kiss. Violet wrapped her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his blonde curls. Tate walked backward until the backs of his knees hit the edge of his bed. He pulled his lips away from Violet's before moving onto the bed.

Violet watched as Tate moved to the middle of his bed. Once he was lying down, he motioned toward her and whispered "Come here."

Violet bit her lip and winked at Tate. She gripped the hem of her sweater, about to pull it over her head when her knuckles brushed against the small swell on her lower stomach. She froze as her mind kicked started again. If she took her layers of shirts off, Tate would be able to notice her weight gain.

Tate noticed that Violet had drifted away into her thoughts. He sat up. "Vi, are you okay?"

Violet snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Tate. "I'm fine." She smiled. She figured to just let Tate realize everything on his own. She pulled her sweater over her head before slowly removing the rest of her layers of shirts. She stopped and looked at Tate once she was standing in front of him in only her bra and leggings.

Tate smiled as his eyes roamed over Violet's upper body. His gaze slowly moved over her chest and down her stomach. His breath hitched in his throat when his gaze stopped on her lower stomach.

"Violet?" He whispered as he crawled across the bed and kneeled on the mattress in front of her. One of his hands reached out towards her. His fingers lightly brushed over the small but noticeable bump.

Violet's hand covered Tate's, holding it flat against her stomach. "This is what I've been trying to tell you…"

"You're pregnant?"

Violet nodded. "I tried to tell you that morning before… But you were so worked up."

Tate's eyes were locked on Violet's stomach. "I… This is… I don't know what to say. What are we going to do?"

Violet's fingers tilted Tate's chin up so that he was looking at her. "We don't have to decide right now." She mimicked his words from earlier with a smile. "Just let me make love to you. Please…"

Tate wrapped his arms around Violet's back, pulling her close to him. "Always." He whispered against her lips as his fingers worked on unclasping her bra.

_The next chapter will pick up where this one left off! ;)_


	4. Plans

_**This is a short update, but hey, it's an update! I'm trying to update all of my stories in a short amount of time before I write in depth updates. I hope you enjoy this teaser update.**_

"Was I too rough? Do you think I hurt the baby?" Tate asked Violet in a worried tone. He has his arms wrapped around her back as she laid on his chest, looking into his eyes. Violet smiled at his questioning.

She giggled as she brushed her fingers along his bottom lip. "You didn't hurt the baby. Sex is allowed during pregnancy."

"How do you know?"

Violet smiled and rolled her eyes. "There are these things that have covers and are full of pages all about pregnancy and babies… Books." She teased him.

Tate stuck his bottom lip out in a pout, and Violet leaned forward to suck his lip into her mouth, nipping at it with her teeth. Tate moaned. Violet moved her lips with more determination against his. She could feel her cheeks heat up as her body started to tingle. Her hands rested against Tate's chest. His skin felt warm and smooth.

"How do you feel so real?" Violet whispered out of breath when she pulled away from Tate's lips.

"Because I am. I'm exactly the same as I was before."

"But?" Violet could feel the tension that hung in the air after Tate's words.

"But…" Tate continued. "It's like I'm frozen in time. I can't change or leave. I'll always be here."

Violet felt her stomach tie into knots. "And you're okay with that? With never changing?"

Tate hesitated for a second. "I… This wasn't how I planned for everything to happen. I thought that I would die, after helping those kids get to a better place, and then you would come be with me, and we would stay here together forever. I thought this was going to be the best thing for us. I found a way to stay by your side for always."

Violet smiled with tears in her eyes. "When you say it like that, it sounds like paradise."

"That's all I wanted." Tate's hand moved so that it was resting against Violet's stomach. "But things changed…"

Violet nodded slowly. "I'm sorry…" Tears dripped down her face.

Tate sat up and pulled Violet into his arms. "No! No, Vi. Don't be sorry. It wasn't a bad change. We just have to adjust the plan a little."

Violet looked up at Tate as he wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I'm scared, Tate."

"Why?"

"Because when I thought that I lost you, I was so happy to have this baby because it was all I had left of you, but now… Here you are. I just don't know what to do…" Violet's voice trembled.

Tate nodded. "I understand that. Personally, I'm happy about the baby. It's a blessing, but I can't be a dad when I'm stuck in this house. I can't raise a child."

"And I don't think I can do this alone…" Violet confessed. "I had convinced myself that I could, but like you said, everything's changed."

Tate's eyes lit up as an idea popped into his head. "Adoption."

"Adoption?"

Tate nodded and smiled. "This baby deserves to have an amazing life, and we can give it that by finding the perfect family to adopt it."

Violet smiled. "I love you."

"I love you too, baby." Tate held Violet tighter in his arms, kissing her on the cheek. Violet relaxed into his arms.

…

They had everything planned. Violet would continue to go to school and act like everything was normal. Well, as normal as life would be after your boyfriend went on a shooting spree through the school and then was killed by a SWAT team. Perfectly normal. She would visit Tate during the nights and weekends when his mother was either asleep or out of town. No one would know about Tate. Violet would keep it a secret. She would go through with the pregnancy, having Tate help as much as he could. Her parents had been happy about her choice for adoption. She would have the baby, and when everything was settled, she would meet Tate in his room and die in his arms, forever sealing her fate with him.

But… Even the most thought out plans don't go, well, according to plan…


End file.
